Scientists have created a “spray-on bandage” using the body’s own bacteria
If you get a cut on your skin, you stick a band-aid on it. But what if you get a wound in your gut? When doctors treat injuries to the intestines, they can't use patches or bandages, because these materials don't stick to the slippery intestinal walls. Now, a team from Harvard University has come Read More...
New hydrogel could make bone marrow transplants more successful
Bone marrow transplants are a common treatment for certain conditions related to the blood, but the patient's immune system can often react badly to the foreign cells and attack them. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may help, but they too can be cleared out by immune cells. Now, a Harvard team has Read More...
This new 3D microscope will solve one of cell biology’s biggest problems
There's a problem in cell biology research: to study what happens inside a cell, it has to be destroyed. When scientists use a traditional microscope to observe a cell, they use stains -- chemicals that color parts of the cell to make them visible. However, these stains cause damage and kill the Read More...
We’re running out of rare-Earth metals for electronics. Here’s a solution
Electronic devices are made possible thanks to a group of elements often referred to as rare-Earth metals, but as the name suggests, these may be in limited supply and are relatively expensive. Now, a team of scientists has found a way to combine much more common elements into electronically-useful Read More...
Why social media has been a boon for the science community
The field of science communication -- the practice of informing and educating people about science-related topics -- arose just after the start of the Enlightenment when Francesco Algarotti published his first edition of Newtonianism for the Ladies in 1737. While that bit of 18th-century Read More...
Researchers have finally found a greener way to produce graphene
We’ve written about graphene before and for good reason: it is extremely strong, ultra-thin, and has an excellent electrical and thermal conductivity that opens up all kinds of possibilities. The only problem is that producing it is resource-intensive and expensive. But that’s all set to change Read More...
Scientists have created a ’pumping heart patch’ that repairs damaged hearts
Even when a person survives a heart attack, the consequences of such an attack can have life-threatening consequences on a patient. That’s why scientists at the Imperial College London have created a “pumping” patch containing millions of living beating stem cells that can repair the damage Read More...
Florida just appointed its first chief science officer to tackle climate crisis
The former governor of Florida, Rick Scott, was widely seen as a disaster for the environment, slashing $700m from the water management budget, rolling back crucial water quality safeguards and pursuing pro-industry policies that critics said turned a blind eye to pollution and polluters. On Read More...
Next-generation plastic can be recycled over and over again into new materials
Plastic is useful and ubiquitous – but that's not always a good combination. The vast majority of plastic waste can't be recycled, meaning it ends up in landfills at best or the ocean at worst. To help curb the problem, researchers at Berkeley Lab have designed a recyclable plastic – called Read More...
Scientists used biomimicry and bacteria to create strong biocompatible material
Although 3D printing has been a game-changer in many industries for creating new synthetic materials, scientists are also turning to nature in order to develop some of the strongest synthetic materials available. One natural substance scientists have studied as a model for creating synthetic Read More...